Opera Orlando Expands Education Initiatives with Sixth Annual SINGS! Summer Institute
The week-long training intensive will culminate in a public showcase recital at Timucua Arts Foundation.
Opera Orlando is launching its 2026–27 education season with the return of SINGS! Summer Institute for the Next Generation of Singers, the company's annual intensive for aspiring classical vocalists, taking place July 18–25.
Now in its sixth year, the weeklong program welcomes rising high school juniors through undergraduate students from across the country for professional training designed to prepare young singers for auditions and careers in classical music. The curriculum includes individualized coachings, masterclasses, acting and movement classes, career seminars, professional branding, wellness programming, and audition preparation, culminating in a public showcase recital at Timucua Arts Foundation on Saturday, July 25.
"SINGS! is so much more than a summer camp," said Education Director Sarah Purser. "Our goal is to give these young artists the same tools they're going to need as emerging professionals."
Participants will study with an accomplished faculty that includes GRAMMY Award-winning baritone and Opera Orlando General Director Gabriel Preisser, Artistic Director Grant Preisser, Florida Atlantic University Opera Theatre Director Mitchell Hutchings, University of Central Florida faculty member Michael Jablonski, internationally acclaimed heldentenor Stuart Skelton, resident pianist and chorus master Nathan Cicero, acting coach Erin Michelson, hair and makeup designer Destinee Steele, and photographer Michael Cairns, who provides each participant with professional headshots.
More than 80 percent of participants receive scholarship assistance, reflecting Opera Orlando's commitment to making professional-level training accessible to young artists regardless of financial circumstances.
The summer intensive serves as the opening program in Opera Orlando's broader education mission, which includes the Opera Orlando Youth Company, Apprentice Artists Program, Studio Artists Program, and a variety of in-school initiatives serving students throughout Central Florida.
The Youth Company provides weekly training and performance opportunities for singers ages 8–18, with auditions for the 2026–27 season scheduled for August 8. The Apprentice Artists Program, presented in partnership with Stetson University School of Music, offers undergraduate vocal performance students professional stage experience, while the Studio Artists Program provides emerging singers with advanced training and performance opportunities alongside Opera Orlando's MainStage productions.
Opera Orlando also continues its partnerships with Orange County Public Schools, Seminole County Public Schools, and the School District of Osceola County, bringing touring productions, masterclasses, and educational programming directly into classrooms while inviting students to attend MainStage dress rehearsals free of charge.
This season's touring production, Nestor's Big Beautiful Boost of Confidence, inspired by Gaetano Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, will visit elementary schools across four Central Florida counties—including Volusia County for the first time—and will receive a free public performance on February 6, 2027, at Mead Botanical Garden.
Additional education events during the 2026–27 season include invited dress rehearsals for Madame Butterfly, The Flying Dutchman, and The Elixir of Love, as well as "Masterclass with the Maestro" programs led by conductors Kalena Bovell, Geoff Loff, and Maria Sensi Sellner.
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L’elisir d’amore Union Avenue Opera (7/24-8/01) |
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Samson et Dalila Union Avenue Opera (8/14-8/22) |
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Fiddler on the Roof Union Avenue Opera (7/03-7/11) |